Hughes Marino: Surviving and Thriving

I was on a course called Executive Leadership Expedition, or ELLE. The course has been developed by the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and championed by Bob Schoultz, NOLS Instructor, Navy Seal and leadership guru

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Army and Navy Academy: Cadet Completes NOLS Course

Cadet recently completed a 30-day National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) Course in Alaska. The course is designed to develop leadership and ethics while also teaching technical outdoor skills, like map reading and how to exit from a wet kayak

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Boise Weekly: Mark Blaiser ‘was a dirtbag once’

The evening was calm and peaceful. Mark Blaiser dipped his paddle through the still water of the Kawishiwi River near the border of Minnesota and Canada. The 25-year-old sat silently in his canoe and watched a moose and her calf splash into the river and swim across. The moment struck Blaiser as profound. Now, at 41, Blaiser is the new executive director of Idaho Rivers United, a nonprofit devoted to protecting, conserving and restoring the state’s rivers, streams and riparian areas.

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Adirondack Almanack: NOLS Gives Back

This August, NOLS Northeast, in collaboration with the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), hosted a service project trip specifically for NOLS graduates and family members in the Adirondacks.

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Misadventures: Exploring Women

We live in a time of “Look at me, look at me,” presented to us on a daily basis whenever we have any contact with social media. I am witness to countless situations where people feign interest in news and conversations so that they can turn it around and make it all about themselves.
It’s so refreshing, then, to be able to say, “Look at them,” which is why I am writing about Katie McDonnell, age 19, and Taylor Rabbitt, 22. Although these ladies have never met, they share an exuberance, discipline, and passion to learn about our oceans, mountains, and diverse cultures through adventure, education, and exploration. They both have a great attitude towards life.
Katie McDonnell is a freshman at Elon University and a National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) graduate.

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Burrisisland: Learning Leadership

Dr. Qubein’s leadership qualities sparked memories for me of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), the premier teacher of outdoor living skills and leadership, offering courses from 10 days to full semesters in some of the world’s most spectacular natural settings. Over my lifetime, I graduated from four NOLS courses

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Polymath Mag: My Journey to Becoming Comfortable Being Uncomfortable Through NOLS

Ever since my cousin told me about his NOLS expeditions that he took in high school I had been interested in going on one myself. The fact that I had always had a little bit of wander lust and a major spirit of the wild only helped encourage me to take the plunge and go on this adventure. The summer after my sophomore year of high school I decided that it was the right time for me to take my outdoor Sabbatical.

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BioLite: Why Remaining Calm is the Most Important Preparedness Tool

When was the last time you attended a class focused on scaling a mountain face or navigating rapids? For most of us, spending a class period outside on the quad during college was a one time thing. At the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), class is held on the mountain or walking through the woods. Students embark on expeditions where they learn to rock climb, whitewater raft and lead through outdoor challenges. Instructors guide students through extreme scenarios daily so they can learn to remain calm under stress and make good decisions. For the past 30 years, Marco Johnson has actively instructed wilderness education courses while recruiting and training NOLS field staff worldwide. We sat down with Marco to learn how he teaches students to thrive in off grid situations and how we can keep our cool when faced with an indoor emergency. Here are his top three tips:

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Slate: What Counts as Wilderness?

When you hear the word wilderness, what do you picture? Vast woods full of leaping stags? A mountain rearing up into the clouds? Jungles tangling in all directions? Or something else entirely?

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